Two transformations
How do we grow in fellowship with God?
For starters we need to be in prayer and to be studying His word. A mere intellectual understanding of scripture will not transform us.
John points this out in his gospel.
John 6:53–56 (NKJV) 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
What is John saying here?
To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ is to receive Him as a personal Savior, believing that He forgives our sins. The imagery is unmistakable, we are to assimilate them into our lives. Verse 63 tells us that His words are life. Character is composed of what the mind “eats and drinks” Whatever we consume that is what we will be transformed into. We must digest the bread of life, if we are to be conformed into the likeness of Christ.
In 1517 two events happened, one is famous and the other is not. But they both have something in common. Rafael began painting his famous transfiguration picture in Rome, while Martin Luther was nailing his ninety-five theses to the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany.
These two events have something in common, Luther’s mark the birth of Protestantism, while Rafael’s painting, unintentionally, symbolized the spirit of the Reformation. The painting of Rafael’s shows Christ on the mountain with the demoniac looking hopefully to Him from the valley (Mark 9:2-29). What does this depict? It shows two types of disciples, one on the mountain, the other in the valley, depicting two types of Christians.
The disciples on the mountain wanted to remain with Christ, seemly unconcerned about the needs in the valley. What does this mean for us? Have we built our lives on the mountains, far removed from the needs of the world. This experience could be classified as prayer without works.
What about the disciples in the valley? Their experience could be classified as works without prayer, because their efforts to cast out the demons were unsuccessful. Jesus tells them that “this kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” (v. 29).
What does this all mean for us? Multitudes have been trapped either working for others without the power of prayer or praying greatly without working for others. Both Christians need to have the true image of God restored in them.
God desires to change fallen man into His image by transforming their minds, desires, and characters. What does this look like. The Holy Spirit changes us into His fruits which are, “Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). If you do not resist Him, your character will change, your faith will increase, your convictions will deepen, and your love will grow. More and more you will reflect the likeness of Christ.
Christ’s transfiguration reveals another contrast. Christ was transfigured, and in a sense, so was the boy in the valley. The boy was transfigured into a demonic image. Here we see clearly two contrasting plans, God’s plan is to restore us and Satan’s to ruin us. We have a promise in Jude 24, where God is “able to keep you from stumbling.” In contrast Satan tries to get us to stumble and stay stumbled.
There is no neutral ground, we are on one side or the other. We are either “slaves of sin” or “slaves of righteousness” (Rom. 6:17,18). Whoever occupies our minds will occupy us. If Christ occupies our minds we will become Christlike people, but to be without Christ, we will be cut off from the source of life.